1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chain cover apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which can cover chains reeved around a crankshaft and camshafts mounted on a cylinder head to open and close intake and exhaust valves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior-art chain cover apparatus for covering chains reeved around a crankshaft and two camshafts are disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 63-179109 or Japanese Published Unexamined Utility Model Application No. 63-115509, by way of examples.
In these prior-art chain cover apparatus, two camshafts mounted on a cylinder head and a crankshaft disposed in a cylinder block are connected by two chains, and these two chains are covered by a chain cover composed of an inner member and an outer member. Further, an oil pump is installed at the lower portion of the inner member.
In these prior-art chain cover apparatus, however, since the inner member disposed inside the chains and the oil pump is installed on the inner member are both covered by the outer member, there exist problems in that the apparatus size and weight are large; the number of parts is large; and therefore the manufacturing cost is high. In addition, in the prior-art apparatus, since an upper end of the oil pan is joined to a flange portion projecting from an outer wall of the oil pump, there exists another problem in that the total length of the oil pump increases.